What it means
خراب (kharâb) is an adjective meaning broken, ruined, damaged, or out of order. The word is borrowed from Arabic خَرَاب (kharâb), meaning ruin or devastation. In Persian it covers a wide range of damage, from a broken appliance to a ruined relationship to a spoiled plan. It pairs with two light verbs to form the core compound verbs of damage and malfunction. خراب شدن (kharâb shodan) means to break down or to become ruined, used for machines, plans, moods, and relationships. خراب کردن (kharâb kardan) means to break something, to damage it, or to ruin it, used when the damage is caused by someone. In colloquial speech خراب is also applied to a person who is in bad shape physically or emotionally: حالم خرابه (hâlam kharâbe) means I am not doing well.
How to use it
- ماشینم خراب شد. (mâshinam kharâb shod.) “My car broke down.”
- این بچه همه چیز رو خراب میکنه. (in bache hame chiz ro kharâb mikone.) “This kid ruins everything.”
- آب و هوا خرابه، بمون خونه. (âb o havâ kharâbe, bemun khune.) “The weather is bad, stay home.”
- حالم خرابه، نمیام. (hâlam kharâbe, nemiyam.) “I am not feeling well, I am not coming.”
Cultural note
خراب carries a range of emotional weight in Persian beyond the purely mechanical. When Iranians say حالم خرابه, they can mean anything from a minor headache to genuine distress. The word covers broken machines and broken spirits with equal ease. In Persian classical poetry, خرابه (kharâbe, a ruin) is a charged image used by Sufi poets including Hafez to represent the tavern or the heart that has been laid waste by love. That poetic background gives the word a faint literary resonance even in its most practical uses.
References
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